Hood catch



W. R. WILEY Oct. 14,1930.

HOOD CATCH Filed Aug. 9, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r I z III" l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS W. R. WILEY Oct. 14,1930.

HOOD CATCH Filed Aug. 9. 1929 2 sump-sum 2 INVENTOI Patented Oct. 14, 1930 PAT-ENT OFFICE WILLIAI B. WHEY, OI DETROIT, MICHIGAN HOOD CATCH Application filed Ann" 9, 1929. 'Seflal I0. 884,541.

This invention relates to a hood catch for locking in position the liftable hood walls about the engine of a motor vehicle, and has for its objezt an improved organization of parts adapted to permit the quick yet reliable anchorage with, and disengagement of the latter from, a suitable anchorage element whose position is fixed relatively to the chassis of the vehicle. 1n the organization of parts herein embodied I am endeavoring to eifect a departure from the now familiar but generally unsatisfactory catch which merely relies upon a lengthwise pull by the user upon a helical spring and which thereafter requires .15 the lifting of the now released hood wall by a separate movement, as well as a reduction to the minimum of the number of parts exposed to view or to injury from the outside.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a motor vehicle hood, showing the position and function of my improved catch relative to a liftable side section thereof and to the anchorage element employed.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view of my improved catch, shown in relation to the anchorage element and to the hood wall.

Figure 3 is a similar sectional view with the parts in unlocked position, resulting from the manually induced outward swing of the lifting handle.

Figure 4 is a perspective of my improved device in position uponthe hood wall, and taken from a point internally thereof, the external projecting handle being phantomed in dotted lines.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the device relatively to the anchorage element and to the hood wall, taken from above.

Figure 7 is an elevational view of the externally located lifting lever dissociated from the other-parts.

A represents the motor vehicle hood wall hinged for lifting as usual alon the to line B, and as usual bounded at its orwar edge by the radiator G and at its rearward edge by the dash D. Between these two latter elements there is suspended at the desired eleangled shoulder manually 'vation, relatively to the vehicle chassis andto the hood wall, the anchora e rod E. In the various types of hood catclies now commonly employed, two are generally used, one near the forward edge and the other adjacent 5: the rear edge of the hood wall, and I have thus illustrated the possible installation of my improved construction, though one appurtenant each hinged hood wall section is, according to my experience, often adequate co to afiect its secure and non-rattling anchorage.

M preferred catch element comprises a ban le portion F rovided with a suitably formed trigger or nger hook G at the lower. 05 end, and pivoted at its upper end to the to end of an inwardly extending bracket 3 which for convenience is made initially separate from the rest of the device, and 1s ada ted to be held against the inner face of t e hood wall b suitable bolts or screws, the top end of t e latch. piece engagin through an aperture as K in the hood walfi of sufliciently greater size than the catch piece to permit its easy movement to either looking or unlocking position. Pivoted by the same bolt or cotter pin, as for example, L, as that whereby the top end of the catch iece F is supported, is an inwardly extendmg bracket or frame piece M over whose closest the hood wall the top end of the latch piece F rides when actuated. The top or inmost end of this member M serves as the top anchorage for the s ring H whose lower end is connected to t e t1 of one of the branches, as Q, of the genera 1y U-sha ed or horseshoe iece shown with particu ar clearness in Figures 2 and 3 as pivoted at 0 inside the shell of the catch piece F. The other branch of this horseshoe piece, as N, rides slidin ly against the under face of the pivoted latc lever Pg'the outer end of which is pivoted as at R in the lower end of the slightly swinging frame, of which the part the upper end. The upper and concavel elbowed face of the pivoted lever P whic as brought out in Figure 3, may swing to the lowered position there shown, is actuated by the engagement against its under face of the 100 M constitutes I Q WlllQll passes-through the axial center of the v "catchpiece F" is" push to be engaged by this locking mechanism.

The interaction of the parts just described is brought out by contrast in the showin in Figure 3 of the dottedlines a and b, eac of s ring K at the amt of its connection with "t e frame piece I obliquel downward they diverge. The line whereas as they extend a, it wi I be noted, passes through the center of the pivot R, whereas the line 6 lies 4 thereabove 1n the open or lifted position of the catch parts illustrated in this figure, and f is in true axial coincidence with the spring K. When, therefore the parts have been ac-' tuated'to the osition shown in Figure 3, the pivot R, whic is along the line a is in a position slightly beyond, or overthrown relatively to, the line of maximum draw exerted by the spring K, thus actuating the lever P accordingly a ainst the under side of the anchorage rod.

, ;,and'as soonas the pivot R of this lever P has thus'passed center, the latter-thereafter, operates to lock itself, with a decided snap action.

If the positioning-of this anchorage rod I relatively to the catch mechanism, which is I. supported by the anchorable hood wall, has

been-accurate enough, the catch, including, the pivoted lever P can'be relied upon to hold the supporting hood wall firmly down so that '.its lower edge, as I, fits tightly.

' against, indeed rests upon, the adjacent chasalon care? sis structure I. If, however, there has been a careless adjustment of the parts, or if the hood wall is carelessly dropped down by the user,'I' provide for the accurate guidance of A its lockmg mechanism with reference to the x anchorage rod-E, by 45:

ositioning, with its arms on either side of t 0 locking levers described, a guard element as S, provided with a slopmg. lower edge '1 which will run the anchora e rod if the hood wall is ssly droppe into position until the vertical "edge'V is reached, when it will permit the dropping ofthe described latching parts with respect to the anchorage bar to a,

point. where the curved portion U of the guard piece almost engages the top surfaceof the roduE as thus positioned, when hetweenits over-engagement of the to and the engagement against the diametrica y oposite sideor face of the rod by the pivotal ever P just described, the rod is so firmly seized between the opposingly acting parts that no relative movement can occur, even to the degree of permitting-rattling. This is brought out with particular clearness in cross=sectional Figure 2.

(pivot stud O with respect. to the catch lever composed'of the branches M and N,-

but as well makes & asin and easil handled contouring of t e han 1e piece A firm s rmg-held engagement of the .lever. P against the under s1de of the an-- chorage rod E being desirable, I find it desirable in practice to subject-the spring K to adraw up to fifty pounds; but due'to the interaction of the parts described, and the fact that the manually-actuated draw thereon is what might be described as a slidin one, a manual pull of roughly one-third 0 the degree prevailing as to the spring K is all that is necessary to effect the snappin change from locked toiunlocked position 0 the parts, or vice versa.

What I claim is: v v

1. A locking catch for the hood of a motor le F :may be employed, I have illusre erred form therevehicle, having, in combination with a'fixedly supported anchorage member, an externally pro ecting'lever member pivotall supported from-the inner side of the hoo wall, a U- shaped lever memberT-operatively connected at its closed end with said externally projecting lever member, a pivotally supported operating dogadapted'to engage one branch of said U-shaped lever member when said externally projecting lever member is manually actuated, and a spring operatively connected at. one end with one branch of said U-shaped lever member and anchored at the other end adjacent the pivoted upper end of said exter nallyprojectmg lever member, whereby the movement of one branch of said U-shaped lever to position of locking engagement with oridisenga ement from sald anchorage memher is yiel ingly opposed.

2. In a lockmg catch for. the hood of a motor vehicle, in combination with an'externally projecting handle member passing through a suitably apertured portion of the "hood wall, a U'shaped membero eratively connected therewith, a spring adapted to yieldingly oppose the inward and outward movement of said U-shaped member relatively to-the hood wall resulting from the manually induced swing of said externally projecting handle member, a lever member operatively connected with the-hood wall and adapted to be operatively engaged by one branch of. said U-shaped member when the externally projecting handle member is manually actuated, and an anchorage member fixedly supported with relation to the vehicle frame, with vwhich said lever member is adagted tooperat-ively engage when actuated While any desired form of anchorage of by ctional engagement thereagainst of one branch of said U-shaped member, and from its described engagement with which it is disengaged by the actuated swing of said externally projecting handle member in the opposite direction.

3. In combination with the apertured hood wall of a motor vehicle, a manually actuatable handle member pivotally supported from the interior face thereof and adapted when in lowered position to substantially fill the aperture in the hood wall, a U-shaped member pivotally connected with said handle member with its branches extending inwardly therefrom through the aperture in the hood wall,

-a lever member pivotally supported in predetermined relation to the hood wall and adapted to be wipingly enga ed by one branch of said Ushaped member w en the former is swung inwardly with respect to the hood wall, a spring for yieldingly opposing the downward movement of said U-shaped member, and an anchorage member with which said lever member is adapted to be forced into operative engagement when said handle member is swung to its lowered position.

4. The combination, with an anchorage member supported by selected fixed portions of a motor vehicle structure, of a handle member pivotally connected with the engine hood wall adjacent a selectively positioned aperture therein, a bracket member engaging within said hood wall aperture and fixedly supported with relation thereto, a lever member pivotally supported by said bracket in position of potential operative engagement with said anchorage member when the hood wall and its supported parts are in lowered position, a U-shaped member pivotally connected with said handle member, one branch thereof being adapted to operatively engage said lever member upon the induced inward swing thereof to effect the locking engagement of the latter with said anchorage member, and a sprin operatively connected with the other branch of said U-shaped member and with said bracket for yieldingly opposing the described actuated swing thereof.

5. The combination, with a fixedly suported anchorage member, of a handle member pivotally supported by the hood wall in position of potential closure of an a erture therein through which it extends, a racket member also extending through said hood wall aperture, being supported by said hood wall, a U-shaped member pivotally connected tion.

WILLIAM R. WILEY.

at its central portion with said handle member and extending inwardly therefrom, a ivoted lever member supported from said racket member in position of potential engagement with said anchorage member when the handle and its supporting hood wall are lowered, adapted to be forced into such position by the wlping engagement with. it of one branch of said U-shaped member, a spring resiliently connecting the other branch of 

